Head on over here to register for FREE Kids Bowling this summer! Each child can get coupons for 2 free games of bowling daily (shoe rental may not be included). Simply find your local bowling alley and register. If registration is not yet open for it, you can enter your e-mail to be notified when registration opens up.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and quartered
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.
Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.
Bahama Breeze locations will be open during regular hours on the 4th. The chain will be serving three new Caribbean-inspired Hurricane cocktails during the holiday, which are: the Island Breeze, Tropical Storm, and Bahama Blast.
All Bob Evans locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the 4th of July. The chain is currently promoting its Pick 2 Combos that feature more than 100 possibilities and start at just $5.99.
The restaurant is offering a special lobster and shrimp roll as an entrée or family bundle that serves up to five and comes with a side, cookies, and bread (through July 5). Other family bundles include Bang Bang shrimp tacos, chicken tacos, and grilled shrimp, chicken, or salmon. Check with your local restaurant for reopening status and hours.
Enjoy a variety of appetizers and a beer (or two!) at Buffalo Wild Wings. All locations will stay open on the 4th.
Indulge in all the cheesecake your heart desires. All restaurants will be be operating under normal hours.
If you're craving some comfort food, Cracker Barrel has you covered. All 660 locations will be open during regular business hours.
No matter what time your Denny's cravings hit, the restaurant has you covered. Most locations will be open during normal hours.
The sandwich chain is offering 1,776 bonus points to Firehouse Subs Rewards members who make a purchase on July 4.
If a stack of fluffy pancakes is calling your name on July 4th, you know where to go! All IHOP restaurants will be open during its normal hours. The restaurant recently revamped its menu, with new "breakFEAST" items including crepes and pancakes, maple chicken served with hashbrowns and pancakes, and the crème brûlée pancake combo.
Pass the breadsticks, please! All Olive Garden locations will have normal operating hours on the 4th of July.
In the mood for some seafood? Head over to your local Red Lobster. All restaurants will be open during normal hours on the 4th.
All Ruth's Chris's locations will be operating under usual hours.
Select Starbucks locations will stay open for the 4th, so contact your local store ahead of time to double check.
Although Texas Roadhouse restaurants will be open, hours vary by location, so check your local spot before you head out.
All Yard House locations nationwide will be open during regular hours on the 4th of July. Stop in during happy hour to enjoy a variety of specials.
Now is the time to talk to our kids about what it means to be anti-racist, and the Caribu app is offering one way to facilitate these conversations. On June 8, they’re launching Camp Caribu, a free summer reading program with 100 days of activities, featured books and themed reading categories. The first theme will be “Courageous Conversations: Anti-Racism,” and they’ll be adding additional books about anti-racism throughout the summer.
Cost: Free for summer 2020
Online: caribu.com
Send your kids on a virtual field trip with The Be Kind People Project. Over five weeks of virtual classes, they’ll get to explore ten American landmarks through interactive videos, hands-on projects, music, recipes and virtual souvenirs. The classes offer a fun approach to project-based learning with a focus on kindness and youth development.
Cost: $65/household (15 classes)
Online: thebekindpeopleproject.org/be-kind-american-adventure/
From the popular hands-on outdoor learning program for kids comes a free, eight-week summer course you can do at home. Filled with all sorts of fun like a printable "trail map," reading summer list, songs and rituals for camp, plus articles and resources for parents, each week focuses on a different core Tinkergarten skill: persistence, empathy, creativity, focus and more. It officially kicks off on Jun. 20th.
Cost: Free
Online: tinkergarten.com/camp
An incredible opportunity from the Met Opera, this free, eight-week online summer camp offers music learning and exploration and includes a featured opera each week from the Met's digital library. Each opera comes with hands-on creative projects, instruction from teaching artists and music educators and even a chance to speak with Met artists. The camp runs from Jun. 15-Aug 7.
There are two age groups: 3rd-6th graders and 7th-12th graders, it's five days a week and many of the events happen live. Among the iconic operas to be featured are Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Dvořák’s Rusalka, and Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Cost: Free
Online: metopera.org/GlobalSummerCamp
If your kiddo is interested in cooking, you’ve got to check out Raddish Kids’ virtual cooking camp. Each week covers a different theme, from Around the World to Bake Shop. The camps are designed for kids ages 8 to 13 and run daily for one week each. Follow their page on Outschool to be notified when you can sign up; you can also check out their recorded one-time classes in the meantime.
Cost: $15/one-time class
Online: raddishkids.com/pages/summer
Keep your kids learning (and having a great time) this summer with Camp Wonderopolis, a great free program that incorporates science, music, reading comprehension and more. Choose from themes including space travel, the Olympics and city building.
Cost: Free
Online: camp.wonderopolis.org
Get learning time in this summer with Varsity Tutors’ weeklong, totally free virtual summer camps. Running June through August, kids can sign up to make their own LEGO movie, crack detective cases and create their own worlds in Minecraft. Space is limited, so grab your spot soon.
Cost: Free
Online: varsitytutors.com/virtual-summer-camps
Get your whole crew involved with Family Maker Camp—it’s a great way to flex your imagination and create something new. Join in on one of their live streams or pick something that sounds interesting out of their project library. Before you know it, you’ll have built a hovercraft or a musical instrument.
Cost: Free
Online: makercamp.com
Keep the summer boredom away with this fun digital learning platform. Kids ages three to seven can learn STEAM concepts while watching videos and participating in interactive online activities. You can try it out with a 30-day free trial; after that, it’s $9.99 a month.
Cost: $9.99/month
Online: marcopololearning.com
MOCA Art Camp
MOCA North Miami is offering a virtual contemporary art experience with free Virtual Art Camps this summer. Kids ages six to 13 will be introduced to mixed media, painting, drawing and textile arts during Zoom workshops, and their final projects will be featured in a virtual exhibition on MOCA’s website. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up while you still can!
Cost: Free
Online: mocanomi.org/2020/05/virtual-summer-art-camps/
If you’re worried about getting your middle or high school kids up to speed in the new school year, Numerade has a fabulous (and free) solution. They’re offering free STEM summer camps covering SAT test prep, precalculus, physics and more.
Cost: Free
Online: numerade.com/summer-camp
With the onset of Covid-19, GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers were forced to temporarily close, but they were able to bring a ton of content to their website tailored for families with Down Syndrome. Browse more than 20 programs for all ages, covering everything from math to cooking.
Cost: Free
Online: gigisplayhouse.org/gigisathome/
Iconic brand OshKosh will launch a virtual summer program kids can access from home. They'll be your camp director and guide activities that'll keep kids occupied and bring up classic camp memories for parents, too. Ideal for kids seven and up, Camp OshKosh will keep them active, inspired and having fun this summer. This fun program will launch on June 15th, and you'll be able to find more details here on that date.
Research shows that kids connect when they're participating in an activity with you whether it's cooking, playing outside or being creative. Non-profit organization Marathon Kids, which works to ignite the joy of physical activity in kids, is launching a free summer program in hopes of making this easier for parents. Simply walk a mile and talk while doing it. Each day you'll receive a new prompt, there's a special mileage tracker, and by the end, you'll have walked the length of a marathon (26 miles) while getting to know your child better.
Cost: Free
Get registered and get your daily prompts here.
If you need an incentive to get the kids to go screen-free every once in a while, check out the Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program. Download a reading journal from the Barnes & Noble website, then have your little bookworm log each book as it’s completed. Once they’ve read eight books, bring the completed journal to your local Barnes & Noble between July 1 and Aug. 31 to get a free book.*** Score!
Cost: Free
Online: barnesandnoble.com/b/summer-reading/_/N-rs9
***Due to COVID-19, Check with your local store for updates on in-store activities.
Every month this summer, download the free instructions to a new LEGO mini build. In addition, your master builder can receive a free magazine as part of the LEGO life program. There are stories, activities and news updates for kids ages 5-9.
Cost: Free
Online: shop.lego.com/minibuilds
Microsoft normally offers free kids camp at their stores during the summer, but they've moved online for now. Kids can sign up for free online workshops to tour the Smithsonian, plan a virtual road trip, put their Minecraft skills to the test and more. Ages range from 6-14, and while the camps are free, advance registration is required.
Cost: Free
Online: microsoft.com/store/eventsforkids
Give your kids an exciting and engaging adventure this summer by joining forces with Mae Merriweather from the Grayson Academy of Antiquities. Starting on Jun. 1, 2020, your tiny treasure hunter can join other participants from all over the world to work hard, have fun and decode the clues that will lead one lucky winner to the mysterious Sunstone of Cortes.
How does it work? Kids will choose three electives out of 15 (depending on which package you select), including math, engineering, cooking, typing and even yoga, to solve each weekly challenge. Once solved, an original webisode containing the next hidden clue will be unlocked. The first treasure hunter to solve the mystery will jet off to unearth the real buried treasure—$1,000 in gold!
Cost: $99 and up. Click here for more information.
Online: brainchase.com
Your avid reader can help underprivileged kids gain access to books by keeping track of his total minutes read this summer. Sign up on Scholastic's new Home Base to get started. As kids track their reading streaks, they’ll unlock fun videos, book excerpts and other exclusive summer content. For every two days in a row kids track their reading streaks, Scholastic, with the help of other sponsors, will donate a book (totaling up to 100,000 books) to underserved kids across the country. You can register here, and check out the info for parents here.
Cost: Free
Online: scholastic.com/summer
If you’ve got a budding Ansel Adams at home, the Ranger Rick photo contest is a great way to keep her busy over the summer. First, head for the great outdoors (or your own backyard) and have her take nature photos. Then, select her favorite one and send it in with proper sizing (2 MB or smaller, JPG format, at least 600 pixels wide or 600 pixels tall). If your kid doesn’t have a digital camera, no worries! Phone images are also accepted. Recent winners (this is an ongoing contest) are entered into the running for Ranger Rick’s "Your Best Shots" Magazine Award and are selected three times a year. Each winner receives a certificate of achievement and copies of the magazine featuring the winning image!
Cost: Free
Online: rangerrick.org/photo-contest
It's never too early to instill the habit of giving to others. Have your little philanthropists sign up with Kids That Do Good this summer in order to spend time giving back to their local community. The online (kid-founded!) resource allows kids to get involved with a cause or charity of their choosing—or, if you’ve got real go-getters at home—create their own! Once you’ve created an account and found an organization, kids can track their service hours via social profiles and certificates. During Covid-19, they're highlighting ways that you can volunteer safely from home, including sewing masks, transcribing historic documents and more.
Cost: Free
Online: kidsthatdogood.com
The very popular Apple Camp returns for the summer. Designed to help spark the imaginations of kiddos ages 8-12, this three-day workshop allows kids to explore and expand on their digital creativity. They’ll choose one of three tracks, and spend 90 minutes of each day working on their project. Be sure to sign up here to get an email announcing open registration—spots fill up quickly!
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: Apple has paused all of its events for the time being. You can check back on their website for updates and sign up to be notified if/when registration opens.
Online: apple.com/retail/camp
The Home Depot offers workshops that are perfect for mini-makers. Simply pre-register online, and then show up on the selected Saturday to build fun projects like a putting green. At the end of the two-hour workshop, kids receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron, and a commemorative pin while supplies last.
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: These classes aren't currently running; check back later in the summer for updates.
Online: homedepot.com/workshops
Does your artist dream of paint, paper, glitter and glue? If so, Michael’s Camp Creativity is the perfect way to beat summer brain drain. Kids come in on Mon., Wed. and Fri. from 10:00 am-12:00 pm to work on projects that have fun themes like Zoo Adventures, World Explorers and Sea Treasures. There are new crafts each day, Friday is a slime-themed project, and kids get stickers and coloring pages to collect for each session they attend.
Cost: $3 for a 30-minute session
Covid-19 update: Since gatherings are off-limits, for now, Michael's has taken their kids club online! Visit their website and sign up to take a live class on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 pm central time. All the classes are also saved in video form so you can get crafting whenever you want.
Online: michaels.com/camp-creativity
Budding bowlers can perfect their technique all summer long thanks to Kids Bowl Free, which allows them to play up to two games a day free of charge. All that's missing is a pair of those sweet bowling shoes. To find a participating bowling alley near you, click here.
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: With bowling alleys largely closed across the country, Kids Bowl Free is pausing their program until June 1. As bowling alleys reopen, the program will start back up again—and may extend past the summer months as well.
Online: kidsbowlfree.com
Sometimes a dark and cool movie theater is the only way to beat the heat. Your kids can sign up for a punch card or show up at participating Cinemark (movies shown on Tues. and Thurs.) and Regal theaters (movies shown on Tues. and Wed.) to catch a fun, kid-friendly flick for just $1. Even better, most movies show before noon, making it easy to catch a flick and head home for nap time.
Insider Tip: You can skip the concession lines at Cinemark with a speed pack!
Cost: $1 per movie at both locations, or $5 for 10 punch card from Cinemark.
Covid-19 update: Movie theaters are a no-go at the moment, but you can still do an outdoor movie night in the backyard or have a Disney+ marathon.
Online: cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse and regmovies.com/movies/summer-movie-express
Xanadu your heart out and head for the local roller rink this summer. Whether your kids like to skate or rollerblade, a few laps will get their blood pumping, and the cool, A/C-induced temps are a total bonus. The Kids Skate Free program allows families to take advantage of this offer once a week (during summer months). Click here to find out if it’s happening at your local rink.
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: Most roller rinks are currently closed. As your area opens up, check the Kids Skate Free website to see if your local rink is still participating.
Online: kidsskatefree.com
If you’ve got a National Park nearby, be sure to sign up your mini explorers for the NPS Junior Ranger Program. Each kiddo will be outfitted with a handy Junior Ranger guidebook that's filled with historical facts and cool tips about all the National Parks. Every adventurer also gets the chance to complete a series of activities, share answers with a park ranger, and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and certificate. Click here to learn more.
Insider Tip: Kids can earn badges at home by downloading activity books and information packets. Click here for more info.
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: National park services are slowly opening in phases, so be sure to check the park website before you visit. There are plenty of online activity guides that you can print out and complete, along with virtual tours and video content to enjoy the parks from home.
Online: nps.gov/kids/become-a-junior-ranger.htm
If you are a Bank of America or a Merrill Lynch cardholder, you can snag free admission at more than 150 museums, science centers and botanical gardens across the country on two days every month just by showing your card. Find out if your favorite museum is participating, and on what days, by clicking here.
Cost: Free
Covid-19 update: With many museums closed indefinitely, be sure to check your local museum's website to see if they're open before you visit.
Online: museums.bankofamerica.com
Microsoft retail stores are hosting FREE Microsoft Summer Camps for kids ages 6 years and older!
Depending on the workshop you choose, these camps last up to 2 hours a day and are held at Microsoft Retail Stores throughout the country.
Most activities are available for children 8 and older or 13 and older with select activities available for kids ages 6 and 7. Note that a parent or guardian of every camp participant under 17 years of age must sign a participation agreement upon arrival and remain in Microsoft Store for the duration of the event.
This summer, Apple stores are once again hosting Apple Camp for Kids ages 8-12! This camp is for 1.5 hours a day for 3 days! Head on over here to register your kids for FREE! Note space is limited and workshops fill up quickly.
Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program is here to encourage your children to read and earn a FREE book, simply by following these three easy steps:
Also, be sure to join the Barnes & Noble’s free Kids’ Club– as a welcome gift, you’ll receive 30% off the list price on any one kids’ book or toy, a $5 reward for every $100 you spend on kids’ items online and in stores, and a free cupcake from their café for all your children’s birthdays.
Book Adventure
Book Adventure is a fun, free, online way to motivate your child to read! Kids in grades K-8 can search for books, read them offline, come back to quiz on what they’ve read, and earn prizes for their reading success.
Books-A-Million
Each year, Books-A-Million offers a summer reading program. Read four books on their summer reading form and receive a free drawstring backpack (while supplies last).
Chuck E. Cheese
Looking for a fun way to reward your children for good behavior? Just download and print out the calendar, mark off days with a pen or sticker as your child accomplishes his/her goals, bring in the completed calendars to Chuck E. Cheese’s and receive 10 free tokens as a reward. They offer a reading calendar, in addition to practical ones like, “good behavior” and “daily chores.”
Education.com
This website offers suggestions and printables for creating your own Do-It-Yourself Summer Reading Camp, complete with summer activity collages.
Half Price Books Summer Reading
Once children, who are 14 or younger, have read for 300 minutes, they can turn in their completed reading log (by August 29, 2019) to earn Bookworm Bucks. Highschoolers can also earn Bookworm Bucks, but they must write book reviews.
PBS Kids
Miss A’s favorite series is the Cat in the Hat Learning Library, created by the amazing PBS Kids. On their website, you can find books they’ve published, suggested reading lists, and practical suggestions for creating a literary home.
Pizza Hut
Their Book It program is winding down for the year, but be sure to sign up for Fall 2019 (it’s open to homeschoolers right now)! In the meantime, this summer, enjoy their Summer Reading Challenge. Their website offers printables, online games, book lists, and more.
Scholastic
The Scholastic Summer Challenge is a free reading program dedicated to stopping the “Summer Slide” and encouraging kids to read every day this summer. Kids will unlock virtual prizes and can enter fun giveaways.
Showcase Cinemas
A fun and rewarding summer reading program developed to encourage young children to read during the summer months, Bookworm Wednesdays entitles kids to free admission to a select children’s film when they present a book report at a participating Cinema de Lux, Showcase, or Multiplex Cinemas box office. Accompanying parents or guardians and children under six years of age receive free admission and do not need to submit a book report. Bookworm Wednesdays will resume in summer 2019.
T.D. Bank
In past years, kids in grade K-5 could read 10 books , fill out a summer reading form, take the form to your nearest TD Bank and receive $10 in a new or existing TD Simple Savings account.
Local Libraries
Most local libraries offer a robust summer reading program; and this year, many will focus on space travel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first man on the moon.
Today, typical clambake fare includes lobster, clams, potatoes, and corn, wrapped and steamed in seaweed (a menu and preparation similar to that of ancestors). Spending a day on the beach recreating this American pastime makes the perfect top off to your beach vacation.
Before hosting a clambake, make sure it's legal to cook on your preferred beach. Then, invite tons of friends and family and start digging. The ideal pit size for accommodating your various crustaceans and veggies should measure approximately 3-feet deep and 4 to 5 feet in diameter. Once the pit is dug, line the bottom of your pit with large stones that are 6 to 8 inches around. Tackle this preparation in the early morning, before the sun is high and the sand is hot.
Next, build a fire on top of the rocks using hardwood you brought from home, bought from a general store, or collected on the beach. Driftwood also works well in a pinch. Allow your fire to burn for several hours (and most of the afternoon), re-stoking it, as needed. In the final hour before cooking, as a hack, add charcoal to your bed of embers to ensure ample heat for cooking your food. If you choose to omit the charcoal, test your heat source by splashing water on the rocks—the water should sizzle and evaporate upon contact. When your fire dies down to just embers and charcoal, it's ready to cook on. Rake out any extra wood and ash, and then cover the hot rocks and charcoal with a 3-inch layer of wet seaweed.
The quantity of food you cook depends on the crowd size. An intimate feed for 6 to 8 people calls for at least one 1 1/4-pound lobster per person, 2 pounds new potatoes, 6 pounds littleneck or cherrystone clams, and 1 ear of corn per person (husk on). If you're expecting more, bump up the quantities to the sufficient amount of food needed—your fire pit can handle it. Purchase your lobster and clams live, and on the day of cooking, and keep them chilled until you're ready to steam them. Rinse and scrub the clams in a sink, prior to cooking, and wash and pierce the potatoes with a knife. Then, wrap the corn and potatoes individually in foil and load all the food items into a cheesecloth sack, placing it on top of the embers. Cover the food with another 2 inches of wet seaweed and watch it steam.
(Note: Have a few buckets of seawater on hand to drizzle over the pit for a good steam. Having water available also serves as a safety precaution, in the event of a fire gone out of control.)
Cover the entire pit with a burlap sack or large piece of canvas that has been soaked in seawater. Secure the sides of the sack with heavy rocks or sand to seal in the steam. Let the entire ensemble cook for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. And don't forget to melt 1 pound of butter for dipping. This can be done in a pot at the edge of your pit or at home on the stove, prior to serving.
When done, lobsters will turn red, clamshells will open, and potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork. Use oven mitts or leather fire gloves to remove the food from the pit. Place the food sack on a tarp in the sand or on a picnic table and serve it buffet style, with individual cups of melted butter. Accompany your meal with cold beer, white wine, or Prosecco.
This was more than enough and offered guests a range of combinations to choose from.
(click on a link to download the high-res pdfs. ENJOY!)
– Blank Food Labels (can also be used as Place Cards)
– Water Bottle Labels
– “Drink Up” Sign
– Hot Dog Recipe Signs
– “Make Your Own Hot Dog” Sign
The possibilities for toppings are almost endless! How big or small you want your options to be is totally up to you. Have your buns, hamburger patties, and toppings spread out on a big buffet table so your guests can choose what they like. Have the table placed next to the grill if you’d like to serve the patties as they’re done cooking.
Here are some topping ideas!
Love this! So colorful and fun!
Make your next BBQ a success with this check-list!
See our BBQ Pinterest Board for More!
Chances are you already know that BTU stands for British thermal unit, and the more BTUs an air conditioner cranks out, the stronger its cooling power. But here's the problem: Most American consumers aren't sure how to translate BTUs into the square footage of a room. (No disrespect to the Brits, but maybe we need an American thermal unit, where 1 AMU corresponds to 1 square foot?)
Lobbying for the AMU aside, you don't have to guess how much BTU power you'll need to cool your space. Instead, see the chart below, or check out this (similar) handy Energy Star website. It simply correlates the area you want to cool into BTUs per hour.
So for example, an air conditioner with a rating of 8,000 BTUs can cool a room that's 300 to 350 sq. ft., or one that measures about 18 ft. x 18 ft. Of course, you still have to measure your room, but we trust you can work a tape measure and apply this formula: Area equals length times width. For irregularly sized rooms, you can always estimate by breaking down the room into smaller geometric shapes, and calculating the size of those.
Most folks think bigger is always better, but it's not always so with AC. According to the Energy Starfolks, "Air conditioners remove both heat and humidity from the air. If the unit is too large, it will cool the room, before it has a chance to remove the humidity. The result will be a room that's not very comfortable to spend time in," and "That cool moist air will make the room feel damp and clammy." Damp and clammy isn't much better than sweltering.
It's one thing to run an air conditioner in your room. But combine its power with a simple ceiling fan, and you can have the best of both worlds. Often costing less than a penny an hour to run, ceiling fans have an immediate impact on your domestic comfort once you buy and install them. They generally start at about $40 apiece. The nice thing about a ceiling fan is it can make you feel anywhere from 3 to 8 degrees cooler.
SEE ALSO: Your No-Sweat Guide to Buying a Fan
When you buy any air conditioner these days, it should come with one of those bright yellow Energy Guide stickers on the box that tells you exactly how much the unit will cost to run. Take this into account, as it's part of your total cost for both buying and operating the unit.
If your unit is more than 9 years old, seriously consider replacing it. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, room air conditioners that are ENERGY STAR certified are typically 13% more energy-efficient than standard models. Depending on how long you hold onto that new unit, you could save $99 or more over its lifetime in energy costs alone — a de facto rebate just for upgrading to an Energy Star model.
The key number to look for is the energy efficiency ratio, or EER: The higher the EER, the more efficient the unit. So if you replace an old EER 5 unit with a new EER 10 unit, you can cut your cooling costs in half. You should also look for the "Energy Star" and "Energy Guide" labels when purchasing a window unit. An energy-efficient unit will cycle the compressor on and off so it doesn't operate continuously. And Energy Star central air units have higher EER ratings and use 8% less energy when compared to conventional new models.
If you're thinking about upgrading to central air, it's easy to beat yourself up for being an energy hog, or to get intimidated by the sticker price. Yes, it's true that central units will use a lot more power than, say, a single window unit on each floor of a 2-story dwelling. But if you have more than two rooms to cool, then your best bet is to go with a central unit, which also provides long-term resale value for a home. Well-designed central systems also win out in terms of being able to filter the air for allergens and pollutants, and for controlling humidity.
Again, keep in mind that window units aren't necessarily more energy efficient than central air units. A window unit that is too small to cool a room may run continuously, wasting energy. When shopping for a central air conditioning system, make sure the SEER number (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is 15 or better. A less efficient system will cost you more to run.
It's easy to think that buying a new air conditioner or two will solve all of your summer cooling problems. But your AC could use a little help. With central units, for example, a programmable timer or thermostat can save you about $180 every year in energy costs by regulating the temperature when you're out of the house, and by turning on only when you return home.
With window units, air filters get dirty, and fast. Clean your AC filter at least every month, as a dirty filter makes your AC work harder and use more electricity. Regardless of the type or age of the unit, you should change your filters after every 90 days of use.
What's more, you'll use less energy cooling down a room by keeping direct sunlight out during the day. Sunlight can raise the room temperature by 10 to 20 degrees. The less heat that gets into your home, the less you have to pay to remove it. It just so happens that drapes block sunlight and heat better than blinds.
DealNews keeps an ever-updated list of air conditioning deals for you to peruse and compare. Of course, this time of year, AC sales are as plentiful as backyard barbecues. The worst thing to do is feel a heat wave hit you in the face, rush to the first store you can find, and buy the first unit you see. Do some comparison shopping, checking out multiple units for price, efficiency, reliability, and features.
The few minutes you spend comparing notes and using your shopping smarts will do more than show off how cool you are. It'll help you make a prudent choice that will keep your living space comfy all summer long, and for many summers to come.
2 pints strawberry ice cream (or cherry), slightly softened
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 pint pistachio ice cream (we used mint chocolate chip)
10 popsicle sticks (optional)
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.
In a medium bowl, mix strawberry ice cream with mini chocolate chips. Pour ice cream into loaf pan.
Spread a layer of ice cream over the strawberry layer. Place sticks down the middle of the loaf pan. Place into the freezer for a few hours until firm.
Once firm, remove from the loaf pan and slice the ice cream in between each stick to make an ice pop! I just cut them into slices, look how cute!
Eat immediately or place them into individual baggies and keep them in the freezer until ready to eat.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stemmed and quartered
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.
Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.
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